Yellow Brick Road
{Quote |Follow the Yellow Brick Road, Follow the Yellow Brick Road... Follow, Follow, Follow, Follow... Follow the Yellow Brick Road! |}}The Munchkins Dorothy Gale (1939) Glinda the Good (1939) The Yellow Brick Road is a fictonal road invented by L. Frank Baum, author and creator of the Oz legacy. This particular road is a very special one and can only be found in the magical Land of Oz. The Yellow Brick Road was first introduced in Baum's first Oz book titled The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, published in 1900. The road is an important key element used in the plot involving the book's characters. In the original novel the road is referred to as the "Road of Yellow Bricks ''". *The road is mostly known for being the road that Dorothy Gale, her pet dog Toto and her companions the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Cowardly Lion followed on the majority of their adventures throughout Oz. The road also makes several appearances in the other sequel Oz books written by Baum. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900. Baum's Description The Yellow Brick Road begins in the very heart of Oz's eastern qaudrant known as the Munchkin Country, which is the most prosperous and wealthiest country out of the other three qaudrants also in Oz. If followed all the way it leads travelers to Oz's official imperial capital aka the Emerald City, which stands in the very center of the land. The road is said to be made entirely of millions of heavy smooth bricks which are all painted completely of a bright glowing yellow, the yellow is so bright it cannot be missed. The road itself is a very wide one in width and a very, very long one in length, running hundreds of miles on and across the vast landscapes and locations of Oz until reaching it's ultimate destination. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) The road is not all entirely straight. Like seen in the various movie adaptations of Oz, it gracefully curves and swoops, looping around mountains and swiveling over rich grassy green hills and attractive flowery meadows throughout the land. Even though the majority of the road is all neatly polished and smooth, the road does have areas where many bricks are broken or have been uprooted from it's foundation, such as in the dark forests and jungles in Oz where not many people wish to pass due to wild beast who dwell within, such as lions, tigers, bears and the flesh eating creatures known as the Kalidahs. Those places have missing bricks or large potholes and dead ends by steep cliff edges cutting the road in half. There are also areas where the road meets deep raging rivers and waterfalls or runs straight into obstacles such as the field of deadly Poppies at the Munchkin border. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) *In ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, it is stated that there is only one paved yellow road leading from the Country of the Munchkins to the Emerald City. However there are other roads that were built as extensions to the original road after Dorothy came. These establishments featured in other works: one from Gillikin Country in Baum's second Oz book titled The Marvelous Land of Oz, published in 1904 and a second extended one in another part of the Munchkin Country in Baum's seventh Oz book titled The Patchwork Girl of Oz published in 1913. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) History of the Yellow Brick Road: *Unlike in Walt Disney's 2013 prequel film Oz the Great and Powerful, the Emerald City and yellow brick road did not exist prior to Oz's arrival. When Oscar Diggs arrived in Oz via hot air-balloon that had been swept away in a storm, the people of the land were so impressed by his majestic persona, they became quickly convinced he was a great Wizard who had finally come to fulfill Oz's long awaited prophecy. When King Pastoria was overthrown and his baby daughter, the Princess named Ozma was hidden away in secrecy, Oscar immediately proclaimed himself as Oz's new dominate ruler. And when he did he also ordered construction of an all green city to be built by his subjects in his honor. Thus, his subjects constructed the yellow brick road that started in the very heart of the eastern qaudrant of Oz known as Munchkin Country. The paved yellow road stretched miles out across all of Oz until it finally ended at the imperial gates of the capital establishment that was ultimately named "Emerald City". In films In each version of an Oz story, many characters and places slightly or even drastically change looks and appearances over time, regardless of the plot lines taking place, the yellow brick road is always the same. The yellow brick road of Oz is nearly identical in each movie adaption despite the differences and events of everything else happening around it. The Wizard of Oz 1939 The Yellow Brick Road was first brought to life in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz starring Judy Garland. Cardboard murals were delicately painted by artist to connect the real road to the illustrated one. This trick allowed the road to appear much longer than it actually was on the MGM stage to add on to it's look in the background sets since computer graphics such as "CGI" did not exist yet. The paintings gave the road a realistic look for the technicolor camera, which gave the illusion of a very long road across beautiful landscapes. Journey Back to Oz 1974 Judy Garland's daughter, Liza Minnelli, voices the character her mother once played and became famous for. In the 1974 animated sequel to the 1939 movie, this version has an all star cast with none other than Liza Minnelli, Judy's daughter, for the voice talent of the cartoon Dorothy. She and Toto get sent back to Oz again to meet new characters as well as reunite with old famous friends. The Wiz 1974--2015: Ease on Down! Diana Ross as Dorothy in The Wiz. In the stage production, four soldiers dressed in all yellow, symbolize the road. In the 1978 film adaption, Dorothy portrayed by Diana Ross, must set out to find the road after meeting the Munchkins and the Good Witch called Miss One. She mistakes taxis for being the yellow brick but after meeting the Scarecrow portrayed by Michael Jackson they find the true road of yellow brick. In the 2015 TV adaptation, the Yellow Brick Road lights up when Dorothy, played by Shanice Williams, steps on it for the first time. When night falls, it no longer lights up, but Dorothy and her friends still make their way to the City the next morning. Return to Oz 1985 Dorothy Gale in Return to Oz (1985) In the 1985 Walt Disney cult classic film Return to Oz, an insomniac Dorothy Gale (played by Fairuza Balk), returns to Oz six months after clicking her heels and being sent home. Dorothy returns only to find that Oz is in apocalyptic ruins and discovers that Munchkinland has been replaced by a thick gloomy, abandoned forest. The Munchkins are no where to be seen and the yellow brick road lies shattered and nearly unrecognizable. These broken bricks lead Dorothy and Billina the hen to a stone cold Emerald City. In the end of the adventure, Dorothy defeats the Nome King and retrieved the stolen Ruby Slippers that made it possible for him to conquer Oz. When Dorothy clicks her heels she wishes Oz back to normal again. It is not clarified if the road is magically put back together; but since the Emerald City is restored, it suggest that the road was most likely fixed as well. Muppets' Wizard of Oz 2005 In this made-for-TV movie by Disney, Dorothy Gale wants to be a superstar, who is played by contemporary R&B singer Ashanti. Dorothy follows the Yellow Brick Road, which also has brick walls on each side of the pathway in this version. Tinman 2009 In this made for TV mini series, that is set circa one hundred years after the original Dorothy Gale aka "the first Slipper" arrived, to Oz aka "Outer Zone". The yellow brick road aka "the old road" is no longer used and is nearly forgotten about in present day, since cars and automobiles are driven by the people who live in Oz now. Dorothy & the Witches of Oz 2011 The yellow brick road is seen in the land of Oz while the Witches both good and bad, are in a war. The Wizard also takes part in the events while battle the Witches and Dorothy Gale fight each other, over a magic key and powerful spell book. Oz the Great and Powerful 2013 In Disney's 2013 prequel to the 1939 film, Oz the Great and Powerful, Theodora the Good Witch helps a very young and lost Pre-Wizard of Oz, Oscar to the Emerald City believing he is the Wizard who has come to Oz to fulfill the Prophecy. Once Upon A Time 2014 In the popular Tv show 'Once Upon A Time', in the Oz episodes revolving around Zelena the Witch of the West, the yellow brick road is shown in the land of Oz. When Dorothy Gale arrives in Oz and melts Zelena, Glinda takes Dorothy on the yellow brick road to the Emerald City to speak with the Wizard who is Zelena in disguise after turning the Wizard into a Flying Monkey. Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return 2014 In the CGI animated Oz movie with the voice talents of an all-star cast, the yellow brick road is looked for by a returned Dorothy and Toto, and found in they're amazing adventures in the land of Oz. Book Appearances * The Wonderful Wizard of Oz * The Marvelous Land of Oz * The Patchwork Girl of Oz * How the Wizard Came to Oz Background In L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel it was originally referred to as the "road of yellow bricks", but became better known as the "Yellow Brick Road" in the 1939 film. In the VeggieTales 2007 episode "The Wonderful Wizard of Ha's", Darby (Junior Asparagus) and his pet dog "Tutu" are told by Splenda the Sweet but non-fattening fairy (Madame Blueberry) and the Munchies (The French Peas) to follow the old Yellow McToad. Elton John sang "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" in 1974. Real-Life Yellow Brick Roads The inspiration behind the Yellow Brick Road is disputed. According to local legend, the Yellow Brick Road was derived from a road paved with yellow bricks near Holland, Michigan, where Baum summered. Yellow Brick Roads can also be found in Aberdeen, South Dakota; Albany, New York; Rossville (Baltimore County), Maryland; Bronxville, New York (on Prescott and Valley roads); Chicago, Illinois; Liberal, Kansas; Sedan, Kansas; and Syracuse, New York, as well as a school in Abington, Pennsylvania, and abroad in Sofia, Bulgaria. Historian John Curran believes the original road was in Peekskill, New York; older maps show that it would have been the quickest route from the docks on the Hudson River to the Peekskill Military Academy, which Baum attended as a child. The Vision Oz Fund was established in November 2009 to raise funds that will be used to help increase the awareness, enhancement, and further development of Oz-related attractions and assets in Wamego, Kansas. The first fundraiser is underway and includes selling personalized engraved yellow bricks, which will become part of the permanent walkway (aka "The Yellow Brick Road") in downtown Wamego. Gallery Yellow Brick Road/Gallery es:Camino de baldosas amarillas Category:Locations Category:Munchkin Country